UPS AND DOWNS - Louis found his programme boosted when the Hamiltons were questioned about a sex romp

When Louis Met the Hamiltons (BBC2 Tuesday) he couldn't have envisaged the scoop that was going to unravel in front of his very eyes.

One could see from the first 10 minutes of the programme reporter Louis Theroux was struggling to make anything of interest out of the life of Britain's most notorious odd couple.

Wham! Suddenly blonde Christine and greying, receding husband Neil, who had a ruinous penchant for brown envelopes stuffed with cash, got pulled by the Essex constabulary and accused of a serious sexual assault during an alleged sex romp.

Life was suddenly looking down for our odd couple but decidedly up for young Louis who had resigned himself to making a programme about a TV pilot programme the odd couple were trying to flog called Posh Nosh in which they take on the mantle of the famous flamboyant society cooks, Fanny and Johnny Craddock.

After being arrested at a police station, they reappeared into the daylight where the media wolf pack were now decamped having been fortuitously tipped off. The odd couple's solicitor stood on the steps within camera shot lapping up every fame-encrusted moment, and went on to described the sexual allegations in the most gratuitous detail, which if true, made Christine and Neil serial sexual swingers? Wasn't possible, was it?

Christine, it transpired, could be a bit of a girl. There were tell-tale moments captured on full frontal camera, when she gradually unbuttoned Neil's shirt with a kind of stripper's knack. One wondered what kind of sex life they really did have. The other telling moment was when she, having had too much red vino, sat flirting blatantly with Louis fondling his leg and snuggling up very close pecking at his face with her amorous bright red lips. Having been caught in the act by Neil, she muttered something like ‘because they were very secure in their marriage, he didn't mind if she flirted a bit'. Oh, yeh?

A visit to Christine's silver haired ‘Granny' - her mother really - was the most uncomfortable moment for poor Louis. She castigated her daughter and errant husband for inviting trouble ie the TV cameras and reporter, into their, and hence her, private affairs. This was an arresting insight into the lives of two publicity seeking individuals. She being flirtatious, clever and having a capacity to make a buck or too. He being somewhat droll and naïve bearing in mind that some of his favourite things are brown paper parcels tied up with string. As they say, there's nowt so queer as folk. These two were more odd than queer. If you see what I mean.